prior service options to SF
 

Hello Gents,

Knowing that the 18x contract is closed to prior service at the moment has anyone be able to go a different route or know of any other way? Considering their aren't many options for reservists to go active. Has anyone thought about going NGSF and switching to active while in training?

Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you DocIllinois. I've just recently started to look into NGSF as a viable option as it wasn't my first choice or even on my radar for that matter. Now that it being my only option to getting in to SF community I've got a bit of research to do.

Once again thanks for your time.

Or just come back active duty in your prior MOS then drop a selection packet. That's what I did way back when.

How bad do you want it, and how confident are you that you can make it?

TR

There are very few MOS's that the Army is accepting back. Every now and again a MILPER message is released, containing the TPS per occupation, but it may be misleading as even the jobs marked as critically short will probably not retrain.

Your best bet may be to reclass into a hot MOS while still in RC, then drop a conditional release application, then once on AD - drop the selection packet. At least that's my battle plan. From what I've seen lately - conditional release gets signed pretty easily even with a recent positive action like school or promotion.

Pros: you'll get an additional MOS that you may like. I know of at least one that's always looking for victims (but you must be E5+). You'll have enough time to train up on your own, given that SOPC got nixed.

Cons: you may have to move units.

Your best bet is to call your local recruiter and see where you land. The MILPER Messages aren't always 100% accurate as to what MOS you'll land, changes happen every hour on the hour. My scenario went like this:
1.Wanted 18X called the recruiter she said no problem.
2. Went to MEPS then found out 18X had been closed for the past 3 months(they sent out the message about the closure to recruiters after I got told this lol).
3. He said they had 88M available(Wasn't on the list of MOSes available to PS. At the time the only MOS contract you could sign according to the MILPER Message was 18X and that was if you didn't fit the criteria for any of the listed MOSes.

I took it because it's easier to be in and drop the selection packet than to play Russian roulette as a PS trying to get in on the 18X contract. Guess I made the right choice going and not waiting. :D As for the conditional release I she got it done fairly quickly, I was IRR for the Marine Corps. Be Pro-active it'll pay off in the long wrong and at least know what the current climate is as far as PS, it'll take the load of your recruiter knowing you have no misconceptions as to what your chances are.

Hey Big D, just so you know a new USAREC message came out saying that PS applicants can go 18X so long as you meet the requirements. These things change from time to time, as you've probably noticed. We Recruiters try our best to stay up to date, but it doesn't always work out.

Is the SOPC option still closed to PS?

This Should Help You.. :cool:

or you could just ask your recruiter...

or look up the latest prior service business rules as it changes regularly.

Not to mention that it just got answered ;)

All 18X's got to SOPC, in case you weren't tracking, so by the virtue of 18X being open for PS again, so is SOPC.

One thing I'd like to note is that a lot of Recruiters don't understand how 18X works as we are never trained on it. I just know how it works because I had fellow 11B's that I worked with that came out of the 18X program. I had to explain it step by step to the other Recruiters in my area when I got out here because not a single one knew how it went. Of course, many of them also thought there was a ruck march at the end of Airborne and that Air Assault is 3 weeks and involved jumping out of helicopters...

Bottom line: Most Recruiters don't know much about things like this as we are primarily trained regarding regulations for putting people in the Army, not necessarily all of the training. Some do more research on their own, but most don't.

In my profession we value latest SME answer above google search. Force of habit. Good tip on the Business Rules though. Thanks.

Thanks. Exaclty what I was looking for.

Thanks You
 

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't responded in a while. I appreciate all the info given and with the latest change in the ps business rules I will be headed to recruiters office as soon as I get back from this school my unit is sending me to. Once again guys thank you for your time and help.

No problem, man. One thing that I will encourage you to do as soon as possible is to get the 4187 and 368 knocked out. Those can take a long time, and if you wait until later and then push for it, by the time it gets done and you get released 18X might not be open any more. If you get the process started now, when you get done with that school it might be finished and you have that much more of a window.

Perfectly said.

I was prior service Marine, and since I failed my hearing test I couldn't get an Xray contract either. I have never passed a hearing test so he told me Id never be able to make it past the physical. Well I knew I could find my way in somehow so I just told him to get me in the door and I would take care of the rest. I was infantry in the Marines so that was an easy transfer. A year in Iraq with 3 ID later, and I was on my way to selection. Anything is possible it all just comes down to how much your willing to risk to get there. For me a 6 yr enlistment in the regular Army with the possibility to not even get the chance to go to selection was worth the risk to get into SF.

It should just give you the determination to pass selection and the Q course.